PORT ADELAIDE young guns Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma are both in contention for this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star after receiving nominations throughout the season.
Rozee got the nod in Round 3 for his brilliant five-goal performance against Brisbane at the Gabba, in just his third game of AFL football.
The 2018 no.5 draft pick also had 21 disposals, seven marks and two tackles against the Lions. He finished the year averaging 15.3 disposals, 3.5 marks, four tackles and more than a goal a game in his debut season.
Having played every game in 2019, Rozee kicked multiple goals on eight occasions - Round 2 vs Carlton (two), Round 3 vs Brisbane (five), Round 9 vs Gold Coast (two), Round 14 vs Geelong (two), Round 16 vs Adelaide (two), Round 20 vs Essendon (two), Round 21 vs Sydney (three) and Round 23 vs Fremantle (two).
Duursma was nominated in Round 6 against North Melbourne for his 24-touch, one-goal game in Port’s 16-point win over the Kangaroos.
The wingman was influential in the win over the Roos, also taking eight marks and providing plenty of run and link-up play through the middle of the ground.
The 2018 no.18 draft selection played all but two games in his first season at AFL level, and had 20+ possessions on 11 occasions in 2019. Duursma averaged 19.8 disposals, 5.7 marks, 2.1 tackles and kicked 11 goals for the season.
The 19-year-old had a career-high 26 touches against Essendon in the Power’s Round 20 win over the Bombers, but his most complete game came against Fremantle in Round 23 when he had 21 disposals, six marks, six tackles and two goals.
Port Adelaide hasn’t had a winner of the Rising Star award since Danyle Pearce in 2006, when he eclipsed Richmond’s Andrew Raines, Collingwood’s Heath Shaw and Carlton’s Marc Murphy.
Michael Wilson won the award in the club’s inaugural year in the AFL, winning ahead of Blake Caracella, Stefan Carey, Joel Bowden and Daniel Bradshaw.
Sam Powell-Pepper has been the highest-polling Power player in recent times, finishing third in 2017. That year, Andrew McGrath won the award with 51 votes, Ryan Burton (then at Hawthorn) was runner-up with 41 votes, while Powell-Pepper finished with 35 votes.
The NAB Rising Star award will be held on Friday 30 August.
List of 2019 NAB AFL Rising Star nominees:
Round 1 - Bailey Scott (North Melbourne)
Round 2 - Charlie Constable (Geelong)
Round 3 - Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
Round 4 - Sam Walsh (Carlton)
Round 5 - Jack Petruccelle (West Coast)
Round 6 - Xavier Duursma (Port Adelaide)
Round 7 - Cameron Zurhaar (North Melbourne)
Round 8 - Gryan Miers (Geelong)
Round 9 - Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
Round 10 - Liam Baker (Richmond)
Round 11 - Sydney Stack (Richmond)
Round 12 - Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
Round 13 - Dylan Clarke (Essendon)
Round 14 - Nick Blakey (Sydney)
Round 15 - Jordan Clark (Geelong)
Round 16 - Nick Larkey (North Melbourne)
Round 17 - Shai Bolton (Richmond)
Round 18 - Mitchell Lewis (Hawthorn)
Round 19 - Ben King (Gold Coast)
Round 20 - Noah Answerth (Brisbane)
Round 21 - Oscar Allen (West Coast)
Round 22 - Josh Battle (St Kilda)
Round 23 - Brent Daniels (Greater Western Sydney)
